In recent years, the Protector of Citizens has recorded a constant increase in the number of complaints from citizens about violations of economic and social rights, which is why this institution will work on greater promotion and improvement of the protection of human rights in that area, especially the rights of older women in the countryside, said the Deputy Protector of Citizens for Gender Equality Jelena Stojanovic.

"We will strengthen activities to promote and improve the protection of economic and social rights, above all the rights of elderly women in the countryside, through monitoring the implementation of the Revised European Social Charter", said Stojanović at the beginning of the training for employees of the Institution of the Protector of Citizens, organized as part of the project "Strengthening capacities of the Protector of Citizens in the protection and promotion of economic and social rights", which is supported by the Council of Europe.

Stojanović stated that reporting under the Revised European Social Charter, in relation to other mechanisms for the protection of human rights, implies more frequent engagement with the delivery of specific and detailed information and that such an approach enables more effective monitoring of the implementation of the Charter and the realization of economic and social rights in the member states of the Council of Europe.

The Deputy Protector of Citizens reiterated that the elderly, and especially elderly women in the countryside, are a part of the population that is insufficiently visible and insufficiently heard about their disadvantageous position, primarily in terms of exercising their rights from social and health care as well as pension and disability insurance.

Stojanović said that the Protector of Citizens, through the current project, is trying to develop a functional mechanism for monitoring certain provisions of the Revised European Social Charter and strengthen the capacities for reporting to the European Committee for Social Rights, which implies deepening cooperation with ministries, local self-government units, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia and with civil society organizations.

The Deputy Head of the Mission of the Council of Europe in the Republic of Serbia, Nađa Ćuk, stated at the training that the Institution of the Protector of Citizens, as an independent institution for the protection of human rights in "A status", has an important role in the promotion and protection of human rights in the Republic of Serbia and a strong mandate in the area of improving the economic and social rights.

Ćuk stated that the Council of Europe supports the Institution of the Protector of Citizens in the area of strengthening the capacity to improve and protect economic and social rights and expressed satisfaction that the work of the Council of Europe within the framework of activities on the protection of human rights is continuously expanding in Serbia.

Representatives of the national institutions for the protection of human rights in Ireland and Slovakia, as well as a representative of the Council of Europe from the Department for Social Rights, presented their work and experiences to the employees of the Institution of the Protector of Citizens.